I know that by default the wallet.dat is stored in C:\Users\YourUserName\Appdata\Roaming\BitCoin

To secure this wallet, do I remove the wallet.dat (eg. ctrl + x the file) away from C:\Users\YourUserName\Appdata\Roaming\BitCoin and then put it in an encrypted folder on multiple HDs to prevent theft?If I do this then do I copy the wallet.dat back into the default folder to add BTC to the wallet, then remove the wallet again and encrypt the updated version?

So basically if I open the Bitcoin app, since there is no wallet.dat will it just show up as having 0 BTC unless I manually copy the wallet.dat back over to the default directory?

I know that by default the wallet.dat is stored in C:\Users\YourUserName\Appdata\Roaming\BitCoin

To secure this wallet, do I remove the wallet.dat (eg. ctrl + x the file) away from C:\Users\YourUserName\Appdata\Roaming\BitCoin and then put it in an encrypted folder on multiple HDs to prevent theft?If I do this then do I copy the wallet.dat back into the default folder to add BTC to the wallet, then remove the wallet again and encrypt the updated version?

So basically if I open the Bitcoin app, since there is no wallet.dat will it just show up as having 0 BTC unless I manually copy the wallet.dat back over to the default directory?

I know that by default the wallet.dat is stored in C:\Users\YourUserName\Appdata\Roaming\BitCoin

To secure this wallet, do I remove the wallet.dat (eg. ctrl + x the file) away from C:\Users\YourUserName\Appdata\Roaming\BitCoin and then put it in an encrypted folder on multiple HDs to prevent theft?If I do this then do I copy the wallet.dat back into the default folder to add BTC to the wallet, then remove the wallet again and encrypt the updated version?

So basically if I open the Bitcoin app, since there is no wallet.dat will it just show up as having 0 BTC unless I manually copy the wallet.dat back over to the default directory?

You may want to consider secure wiping the file instead of just deleting it. Also you don't need to open your wallet if you send coins to it, they will reach it even if it is stashed away in a safe box.

What I've just done is downloaded and installed TrueCrypt, then I moved the wallet.dat into the encrypted folder (which is mounted as a virtual drive). Then I unmounted the virtual drive meaning it can't be accessed again without a password.

After I did that I opened up the Bitcoin client and it made a new wallet.dat which didn't have any of my coins in it. I then accessed the encrypted folder and copied the wallet.dat into it to test it and my BTC balance was restored along with my bitcoin address. Is simply moving the file to an encrypted volume safer than deleting it?

Moving and deleting both leave a chance for undeleting. You may want to copy the file to your secure drive and then wipe the original with some secure delete tool that will delete it and then overwrite that location on disk with new bits. This way the file can no longer be undeleted.

Bitcoin can't be running when you back up your wallet.My wallet ultimately goes offline in an encrypted rar with recovery record and 17 char passphrase that is a pattern on the keyboard.and no it isn't the the code for Contra

Bitcoin can't be running when you back up your wallet.My wallet ultimately goes offline in an encrypted rar with recovery record and 17 char passphrase that is a pattern on the keyboard.and no it isn't the the code for Contra

The latest version has a command that backs up the wallet without stopping the client.